William Vann Rogers, generally known as Will Rogers Jr. (October 20, 1911 – July 9, 1993), was an American politician, writer, and newspaper publisher. He was the eldest son of humorist
Will Rogers
William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ...
(1879–1935) and Betty Blake Rogers (1879–1944). He was a
Democratic U. S. Representative from California from January 3, 1943, until May 23, 1944, when he resigned to return to the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
.
Early life and military service
Rogers was born in New York City, where his father was performing. He grew up in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, and attended school there. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
in 1935. On completing his studies, he served as publisher of the ''Beverly Hills Citizen'' newspaper, a role in which he continued until 1953. He had been commissioned a
second lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
through the
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.
Overview
While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...
, but did not go on active duty. With U.S. entry into
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, however, he enlisted as a
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
in June 1942, and was commissioned in the
field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement.
Until the early 20t ...
the following month and assigned to the 893rd Tank Destroyer Battalion.
Congress and return to active duty
While on active duty, Rogers was elected to the House of Representatives from California, and was sworn into office on January 3, 1943. He served in the
78th Congress
The 78th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1943, ...
. He did not complete his term, however, returning to active duty in the Army after resigning from Congress on May 23, 1944.
As part of his confidential 1943 report for the British government about the
United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs
The United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs, also known as the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is a standing committee of the U.S. House of Representatives with jurisdiction over bills and investigations concerning the foreign affairs o ...
,
Foreign Office
Foreign may refer to:
Government
* Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries
* Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries
** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government
** Foreign office and foreign minister
* Unit ...
analyst
Isaiah Berlin
Sir Isaiah Berlin (6 June 1909 – 5 November 1997) was a Russian-British social and political theorist, philosopher, and historian of ideas. Although he became increasingly averse to writing for publication, his improvised lectures and talks ...
described Rogers’ political leanings and his prospective post-war positions regarding world order and, more specifically, the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
:
A new-comer to the House. Son of a very celebrated father. A sincere and somewhat impassioned young man who believes strongly in the Wallace
Wallace may refer to:
People
* Clan Wallace in Scotland
* Wallace (given name)
* Wallace (surname)
* Wallace (footballer, born 1986), full name Wallace Fernando Pereira, Brazilian football left-back
* Wallace (footballer, born 1987), full name ...
type of internationalism and in cooperation with the United Nations. A trifle callow and politically inexperienced, he will undoubtedly be a vigorous and enthusiastic champion of all-out post-war co-operation with the United Nations. His fervent adherence to the liberal ideals of the "New Republic" may tend to make him critical of the British Empire.
After his resignation, Rogers was assigned to the 814th Tank Destroyer Battalion and served in the European campaign in
George Patton
George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...
's
Third United States Army
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (disambiguation)
* Third Avenue (disambiguation)
* Hig ...
. Rogers was wounded in action and also received a
Bronze Star
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
Wh ...
. He was released from active duty on March 1, 1946.
Postwar politics
Later in 1946, Rogers won the Democratic nomination for
US Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
from California, but he lost in the November general election to the incumbent senator,
William Knowland
William Fife Knowland (June 26, 1908 – February 23, 1974) was an American politician and newspaper publisher. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a United States Senator from California from 1945 to 1959. He was Senate Majority Le ...
. (Coincidentally, both men would eventually die by suicide.)
Rogers was a delegate to the
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...
in 1948, 1952, and 1956. Other government service included terms as a member of the California
State Parks
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...
Commission (1958–1962, chairman 1960–1962), and special assistant to the Commission on Indian Affairs during the
Johnson administration (1967–1969).
Acting
Rogers had a minor career as an actor and was most noted for playing his father (whom he closely resembled), particularly in ''
The Story of Will Rogers
''The Story of Will Rogers'' (titled onscreen as ''The Story of Will Rogers as told by His Wife'')is a 1952 American Comedy Western film biography of humorist and movie star Will Rogers, directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Will Rogers Jr. as ...
'' (1952), ''
Wild Heritage
''Wild Heritage'' is a 1958 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Charles F. Haas and starring Will Rogers, Jr., Maureen O'Sullivan and Rod McKuen.
Plot
Emma Breslin (O'Sullivan) and her family cross the plains in a covered wagon. The ...
'' (1958) in which he played a judge, and in 1982 (in voice only) in ''
The American Adventure'' at
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
's
Epcot
Epcot, stylized in all uppercase as EPCOT, is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Inspired by an unreal ...
in Florida. He also appeared frequently in the 1950s television
anthology series
An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a differ ...
, ''
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both Television comedy, comedies and Dramatic programming, drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The ti ...
.'' Rogers starred as "Tom Brewster" in ''
The Boy from Oklahoma
''The Boy from Oklahoma'' is a 1954 American western film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Will Rogers, Jr., Nancy Olson and Anthony Caruso. It was produced and distributed by the major studio Warner Bros.
Plot
Cast
*Will Rogers, Jr. ...
'', a 1954
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
film directed by
Michael Curtiz
Michael Curtiz ( ; born Manó Kaminer; since 1905 Mihály Kertész; hu, Kertész Mihály; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed cla ...
, the basis for the 1957 television series ''
Sugarfoot
''Sugarfoot'' is an American Western television series that aired for 69 episodes on ABC from 1957-1961 on Tuesday nights on a "shared" slot basis – rotating with ''Cheyenne'' (first season); ''Cheyenne'' and ''Bronco'' (second season); and ...
'', although the producers of that series chose to cast
Will Hutchins
Will Hutchins (born Marshall Lowell Hutchason; May 5, 1930) is an American actor most noted for playing the lead role of the young lawyer Tom Brewster, in the Western (genre), Western television series ''Sugarfoot'', which aired on American B ...
in Rogers' part. Earlier, in 1953-1954, he starred too in ''Rogers of the Gazette'', a
CBS Radio
CBS Radio was a radio broadcasting company and radio network operator owned by CBS Corporation and founded in 1928, with consolidated radio station groups owned by CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W since the 1920s, and Infinity Broadc ...
series that lasted one season, playing the role of a small-town newspaper owner. Also for one season, in 1956, he hosted ''
The Morning Show'' on CBS Television but was replaced by
Jimmy Dean
Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. He was the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand as well as the spokesman for its TV commercials.
He became ...
. He was one of several actors as well to host
syndicated reruns of the television anthology series ''
Death Valley Days
''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...
'', with the episodes he hosted airing under the title ''The Pioneers''.
Later years and death
In his later years, Rogers retired to his ranch at
Tubac, Arizona
Tubac is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,191 at the 2010 census. The place name "Tubac" is an English borrowing from a Hispanicized form of the O'odham name ''Cuwak'', which tr ...
. In poor health after suffering several strokes, having heart problems, and having had hip replacements, Rogers died by suicide in 1993 at the age of 81. He was buried next to his wife in the Tubac Cementery (as the cemetery is called). Rogers was survived by his two sons, Clem Adair Rogers and Carl Connell Rogers and his brother,
James Rogers.
[Nazario, Sonia (1993)]
“Ailing Will Rogers Jr., 81, Commits Suicide : Obituary: Actor, journalist and former congressman worked to ensure his famous father's legacy. He had suffered two strokes and recently undergone hip implant surgery”
archives of the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', July 11, 1993. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
See also
*
List of Native Americans in the United States Congress
This is a list of Native Americans with documented tribal ancestry or affiliation in the U.S. Congress.
All entries on this list are related to Native American tribes based in the contiguous United States. There are Native Hawaiians who have se ...
References
See also Standing on the Shadow - The Will Rogers, Jr. Story,
Lyle Johnston (2019) privately printed.
External links
Rogers' World War II service at the History Net*
*
*
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rogers, Will Jr.
1911 births
1993 deaths
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American politicians
American actor-politicians
United States Army personnel of World War II
American male film actors
American politicians who committed suicide
Cherokee Nation members of the United States House of Representatives
Male actors from New York (state)
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California
Military personnel from New York City
Native American members of the United States Congress
Politicians from New York City
Stanford University alumni
Suicides in Arizona
United States Army officers
W
1993 suicides
20th-century Native Americans